Now that you've read some of The Grapes of Wrath, you can begin to analyze the choices John Steinbeck made as an author. Each intercalary chapter represents a break in the narrative about the Joad family's trek across the United States. Steinbeck uses these chapters to explore the effects of the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, a changed agricultural industry, and the rise of large corporations on the typical rural American family of the 1930s.

Let's take a closer look at how Steinbeck conveys his message about this period of history through his novel.